Michael Jackson’s musical legacy affected millions of listeners in his lifetime and beyond, but Tony Succar ’08, MA ’10 saw another valuable lesson in the King of Pop’s vast body of work ­– his message of unity. It is that message that Succar’s UNITY Project embodies through its renditions of Jackson classics, and that message that Succar had for the TEDxFIU audience.

Succar started the project three years ago, following Jackson’s death. Over 90 musicians and nine leading Latin artists participated, adding a Latin flavor to Jackson classics that represent the unification of human beings for a better future. The UNITY Project album comes out this spring.

“This is what happens when we fuse these instruments,“ said Succar. “That’s the beauty of life – to fuse your background with background from other places.”

Watch Succar’s full TEDxFIU performance below, featuring the UNITY Project’s take on “Billie Jean” and “Black and White”: